Australia: Heritage Law Overhaul Pledged as Fresh Claims Lodged Over $1 Billion Gold Mine
Australia's Environment Minister Murray Watt said on November 1 that the country's cultural heritage laws need to be reformed, after a $1 billion gold mine project that won a court reprieve was hit by fresh protection claims.
The McPhillamys Gold Project near Blayney in central-west New South Wales was revived on October 14 when the Federal Court overturned an Aboriginal heritage order issued in 2024 by then environment minister Tanya Plibersek over the proposed tailings dam site, which developer Regis Resources had said rendered the project unviable. Watt confirmed the government did not plan to appeal and would instead re-determine the project approval.
Watt told News24 that the current laws are not doing a good job protecting cultural heritage and are slowing down projects Australia needs. Two new Aboriginal protection applications relating to the mine have been lodged since the court ruling, under separate emergency provisions, and Watt said applications under the law have seen an absolute explosion.
Blayney mayor Bruce Reynolds has said the town of 3,000 lost up to A$8 million in rates while the project stalled. Federal Court Justice James Stellios ruled that Canberra made fundamental procedural errors in granting the 2024 protection, in proceedings that heard the site was linked to several Dreaming narratives including a blue-banded bee story. Farmers and environmentalists have raised concerns about land use, habitat loss, possible pollution, traffic and noise.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 照片：澳大利亚金矿选矿厂（资料图），Calistemon 摄，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0 授权 / Photo: gold mill in Australia, by Calistemon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
